May 31, 2022. Zion National Park

Court of the Patriarchs
Three white peaks: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.
Brown peak in right front is Moroni, the Mormon prophet

 We get an early start from Kaibab Lodge, the thermometer in the car showing 22 degrees. We are “marching to Zion,” thinking it is better to arrive early and get a parking spot. We are not early enough. There is a long line of cars at the entry station and when we get into the park, no parking is left. The only option is to continue to Springdale, the town just outside the park, find a parking spot and get the free shuttle bus back to the park. We find a parking place, pay the $20 fee for the day, and wait for the shuttle bus. A couple buses pass by because they are already full, so we walk the half mile to the Park.

Inside the Park, we get a shuttle bus that takes us along the scenic drive to the various observation points. Another line of people, but the wait is not so long. We decide it is safer to wear masks because of the crowds of people waiting for buses and also in the buses.

How to describe Zion National Park? It is simply amazing, almost overwhelming, in ways we have not experienced before. The massive size and height of the canyon walls, the beauty of the river running through the length of the park, the white and red color combinations of the various rock formations. The weather also contributes to the beauty, the deep blue sky and white clouds.

Our first stop is at the Court of the Patriarchs, three pointed rocks named Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and a fourth in front of the other three named Moroni, for the great Mormon prophet.

The second stop is at the Zion Lodge, where we take the trail to the Lower Emerald Pool, 1.2 miles round trip. There is a waterfall at the Pool, but the water is very low so the waterfall is barely more than a trickle. But still a nice walk and a beautiful setting.

The third stop is at the end of the road, where we take the Riverwalk Trail, 2.2 miles round trip. The

Riverwalk Trail ends at the beginning of the Narrows Trail, a further 6-mile trail, one-way, that is walking through the water part of the way. Needless to say, we did not take the Narrows Trail.

It has been a long day, we have walked several miles and our feet (and knees) feel it, so we board the shuttles, return to our car, and go back through the tunnels of the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway, to our hotel.

May 30, 2022, Monday. Grand Cavern North Rim

Today we see the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. True to what we have heard, it has a different feel than the South Rim. Both are amazing but in different ways. The views of the formations from the North Rim seem closer than the South and are more of the upper parts of the Canyon.

The North Rim is about 8,000 feet elevation, 1,000 feet higher than the South Rim. There are Ponderosa pines and aspen trees, with green meadows along the road to the park. It is also cooler. This morning was about 37 degrees and we saw light snow flurries while eating breakfast. Tonight the temperature is forecast to dip to 25 degrees.

We start at the Visitor Center and walk to Bright Angel Point, which faces the South Rim. The variety of formations and colors are impressive, many of which we had seen from the South Rim, but we see them nearer and from a different side. There also appears to be less haze, the formations are clearer.

Then we take the road to Point Imperial and Roosevelt Point, which provide views of Vermillion Cliffs and areas to the east, and Cape Royal, which faces southeast. Each of these includes a short trail to the best view point, and there are numerous other pull-outs for more viewing, including the Angels Window and several that look like castles or temples.

We decide against longer hikes. We are also treated to sightings of a coyote, a Kaibab squirrel, a red-tailed hawk that had just made a kill and flew off with a mouse in its claws, and numerous other birds.

We also enjoyed chatting with people we met along the way. Beginning with a family of four from Detroit we met at the entry sign where we had stopped for a selfie-picture as requested by our families at home, an elderly couple from Maryland who were on the road for several weeks, and a couple from Charlottesville who were visiting parks on their way to Montana where they have relatives.

We did not encounter crowds, even on this holiday. Camping places and campers were numerous. By mid-afternoon we are satisfied and return to the Kaibab Lodge. Tomorrow we will drive to Zion National Park.

May 29, 2022, Sunday. Page, Arizona

 Today is Sunday so we attempt to connect with the Christiansburg Mennonite Fellowship worship by Zoom. It begins 10 am eastern time, which is 7 am Arizona time. The connection works, but the sound is not coming through and we hear nothing, so we sign off and go to breakfast.

The way to the North Rim goes through the park, so we get one more glimpse of the Canyon South Rim as we leave. Then it is the road east until we connect with route 89 north. Looking at a map, we see that Page is only 25 miles from our planned route, or 50 miles going and coming, so we think we have the time and still get to our hotel for the night. Besides, it is time for lunch, and maybe there is a laundromat in Page. We are on our way to Page.

Horseshoe Bend, Colorado River

The town of Page began in the 1950’s as housing for the workers building the Glen Canyon dam. When the dam was finished, some decided to stay and incorporate the settlement as a town. Today it has a population of over seven thousand.

We stop at Horseshoe Bend and pay the ten dollar parking fee and view the Bend. That did not take long. On in to town to the Burger King, and sure enough, there is a laundromat not far away. Now we have clean clothes and satisfied stomachs and we are on our way to the Kaibab Lodge, a few miles from the North Rim entrance gate.

Vermillion Cliffs

The road takes us through the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument. Red sandstone cliffs and buttes everywhere, and the landscape is about as barren as one can imagine. The only thing that grows is sage brush. At one point a clump of tumbleweed bounced across the road in front of us. This is probably what Mars looks like, except for the sage brush. It is hard to see that the land is profitable for anything. And it is windy, windy, windy, blowing red dust across our paths. Glad we do not have one of those high RVs or campers to pull and try to keep on the road.

From 5,000 feet elevation, the road slowly climbs past 7,000 feet to about 8,000. The landscape changes from red, barren hills and buttes, to forest of pine and aspen. Some parts show signs of forest fire. Large trees mostly dead, new growth coming. We are entering a different world. It is still windy, but the temperature is in the low 70’s or less.

Arriving at the Kaibab Lodge, we are told there is no electric. “The wind has wreaked havoc with our power lines. We will have the generator running in a moment.” The power outage also delays the evening meal, but that comes around eventually.

May 28, 2022, Saturday. Grand Canyon South Rim, day 2

 Today is shuttle bus day. We take the shuttle bus along the west rim towards Hermit’s Rest, stopping at the viewpoints along the way. It takes all morning to get to Hermit’s Rest. Get to a viewpoint, disembark, take some pictures, catch the next bus that comes along, stop at the next viewpoint, and repeat until we reach the end of the line, where we eat our lunch.

At one of the stops we get into conversation with a lady about our travel, something like this: “Have you been to Page? You must go to Page. There is the Horseshoe Bend, very scenic. It’s in the Colorado River. But really, you must do the Antelope Canyon. Oh, it is so beautiful! You really need to go. You don’t want to miss it.” Page is not in our schedule, but we can consider it.

I read up on both attractions and it looks like both require a fair amount of walking. That could be a problem. And the price of the Antelope Canyon is more than it is worth to us, something like 65 dollars or more for each of us. So I pretty much give it up.

After our lunch, we take the shuttle back to the central visitors’ center and change busses to go to a couple viewpoints to the east. One of the stops is the trailhead for the South Kaibab trail that leads to the bottom of the Canyon and on to the North Rim. Down the trail 0.9 mile is the "Ooh Aah Point," with a drop in altitude of about 600 feet. Gloria is not eager to go, but Joe is, and so she reluctantly agrees to go. And we made it down and back up, "slowly but surely." She promised to never do another hike like this again.

By now it is time get some dinner and return to our room for the night.

May 27, 2022, Friday. Grand Canyon South Rim, day 1

 We leave the hotel in Flagstaff after a good breakfast and stop at a local grocery store for a few supplies. Then we head north to the crossroads area of Cameron and turn left on the road that enters Grand Canyon National Park from the east.

About an hour and a half from Flagstaff we arrive at the entrance station. Along the way to the main visitor center we stop at some of the viewpoints, including the Desert View Watchtower, Navajo Point, Lipan Point, and Moran Point, then we stop at a picnic area for our light lunch. We continue to the central visitor center, gather some information about the park, and see a brief movie about the geologic origins of the Grand Cavern. By now it is time to check in to our hotel in Valle, about 30 minutes south of the Caverns.

Just outside of the Park in Tusayan, we see a sign for an I-MAX film on the “Secrets of the Grand Canyon,” so we go in and get tickets for the next showing in just a few minutes. It portrayed the first successful boat trip through the Canyon and the rapids. Parts of the film were filmed from an ultra-light airplane flying through the narrows and over the river, which made us hold on to our seats. Overall a quite beautiful picture.

By the time we get to our hotel it is time for dinner and the hotel restaurant has a special of fajitas, so we decide to eat and then return to the Canyon to view the sunset. We watch the sun dip below the horizon, but the actual sunset was hidden by clouds. We return to the hotel.

It has been a long day full of interesting activities, and we will return to the Canyon tomorrow for the day.

May 26, 2022. Sedona

 We have been told about the beauty of Sedona, also about the road to get there’ from Prescott. It goes over Mingis Mountain. At first it goes up and encounters curves normal to crossing a mountain. The road to Sedona is known for its switchbacks, and Mingis mountain tops all others. It seems like even the switchbacks have switchbacks.

We plan to meet Beidler cousin Dennis Glanzer and his wife Judy Apache in Sedona. Dennis and Judy are both attorneys representing native Americans, especially regarding land disputes. We had interesting conversation learning about the intersection of American civil law and native American traditions, which they have been on the cutting edge at times.

The beauty of Sedona is difficult to describe. The town is surrounded by huge red rocky hills. Dennis took us to various points of interest, some that he has wanted to visit but seldom had time to stop.

The road to Flagstaff descends through Oak Canyon and rises again by a series of switchbacks and up and down hills until the road levels and continues towards Flagstaff and dinner.

May 25, 2022. Prescott

 This morning at 7 am I am sitting outside. My phone app says it is 78 degrees and today will be sunny and reach 103 this afternoon. Fortunately, we are driving to Prescott today after breakfast, where the high temperature will be a “cool” 87. Prescott is about 100 miles and a two-hour drive northwest of Phoenix. Phoenix is about 1,000 feet above sea level, while Prescott is about one mile, so that is the reason for the cooler temperature.

Birds are singing, the most prominent is the broad-tailed grackle. Doves are cooing and I hear a sparrow chirping in a nearby tree. The sky is a clear blue and the mountains to our south are clear and appear strong, giving the feeling of protection from whatever is out there.

By 10 am we are driving to Prescott, a city of about 45,000 population. About half-way from Phoenix to Prescott we no longer see saguaro cactus. The landscape reminds us of Mara Region, Tanzania, with the rock formations, scrub brush, few tall trees, and generally dry conditions. Prescott has a long history. In the early days when the area was first settled by Europeans, Prescott was a frontier mining town.

Landis cousin Evie Peck meets us at the door and welcomes us with hugs and iced tea


. We sit on the outside patio and watch the hummingbirds. A black-chinned hummingbird (I think) is watching the feeder and chases away another that comes near, I think it is an Anna’s hummingbird.

A unique house design with Thumb Butte in the 
background.

Soon we are in the car with Evie driving to see the city. Prescott has the feel of a small town. Rocks are nearly everywhere, with some houses incorporating rocks into the structure.

We drive up to a lookout over the city with a good view of Thumb Butte, a trademark of Prescott and then to lunch at Prescott Junction. After a rest, we visit two recreation areas, Willow Creek Reservoir and Watson Lake, which is especially scenic with its rocky shorelines.

Finally, we are treated to dinner at the local Olive Garden.

Lake Watson, Prescott, Arizona

May 24, 2022. Phoenix

 

Following a good breakfast of pancakes and fruit, we leave Tucson and drive to Phoenix on I-10. The normal speed limit on the interstates is 75 and that is what most people drive, or faster, so I feel compelled to keep up. But I have noticed it really cuts into gas mileage.

We have been told that Phoenix is hot; the daily temperatures have been hovering around 100. We arrive at the home of Gloria’s cousin and her husband, Karen and Bob Fryberger about noon. They have prepared a lunch of “sloppy joes”. After we have eaten, they take us to a lake an hour or so away, to see the scenery. It is a “high desert” area with limited rainfall and many kinds of cactus and other low-water plants. The local people refer to the “monsoon” season and the dry season, which we are in presently.

In the evening we wind our way to the top of a nearby hill where there is a lookout point over the city. We get there a few minutes before sunset and watch as the sun drops below the horizon and the city lights up in the dark. The greater Phoenix metropolitan area, which includes nearby cities such as Mesa, Glendale, Chandler, and Scottsdale, is about 65 miles long and 45 miles wide, and the population is around 4.6 million. We talk about the problem of providing water for all these people.

May 23, 2022. Tucson

 We had a good night’s rest and a good breakfast. And then a female elk shows up, drinks from the water tub they have put out for the animals, and slowly walks away.

Today we drive to Tucson, where we will be hosted by our good friend from Tanzania, Harold Wenger and his wife Elba. We choose to not take the interstate highway and instead take a mountain road past Lake Roosevelt and on to our destination. It will take a little longer, but we prefer the scenic route.

We do not go far until we begin to see the saguaro cactus and that continues the rest of the way to Tucson. The road climbs and descends, there is evidence of fires in the past, no large trees only shrubs, and more eroded hillsides showing their colors.

Harold and Elba welcome into their home and provide a lunch. A visit to Tucson Botanical Garden includes displays of many different plants, including the various kinds of cactus.

In the evening we visit the Saguaro National Park. The park has two parts, one east of the city and the other west of the city. Our visit is to the east part to see the sunset. There are not many clouds so the colors are limited, but it is still beautiful.

One lesson learned: when trying to photograph in an area with many cactus, be careful if you need to step back for any reason. There might just be a prickly pear cactus where you want to put your foot. And that is not a good idea.

With former colleague Harold Wenger in
Saguaro National Park, Tucson Arizona

May 22, 2022. Petrified Forest

 

The Petrified Forest National Park straddles I-40 and there is one road that goes through the park. We enter at the north end and stop at the visitor center to get information about the park.

Our first view of the park is the Painted Desert, an area that has eroded over past millennia and reveals various colors in the rocks. So we take a half-mile walk along the rim and back to get a better view. There are reds, whites, pinks, grays, and blues. In this part of the park there are no petrified trees.

The Blue Mesa Trail is a one-mile trail that descends into an area that has more blue and white colors. There we begin to see pieces of petrified wood scattered through the gullies. In the south end of the park there are many petrified logs and pieces of logs.

We exit the park and continue on to Payson, where we stay with Paul and Suzanne Yoder, a first cousin. They receive us warmly and we have a really good time visiting and talking about many things. Their house is on a steep hillside and backs up to a wildlife refuge. They tell us it is not unusual for elk and other wildlife to come to their back yard, and birds to the feeders.

Paul and Suzanne Yoder

May 21, 2022. Wiley CO to Chambers AZ

We started our day eating breakfast with Jeremy and Emma, then we left for the nearly nine-hour drive to Chambers, Arizona, just outside of Petrified Forest National Park. It is most interesting seeing the varied landscapes as we drive through the countryside. 

First is the arid, mostly flat plains of southeastern Colorado. No large except along the river beds, most of which had no water. In much of the southwest, rain, and water in general, is a valuable, but scarce resource. Water access is a political issue and is highly regulated, and it appears the only crops are grown with irrigation.

Next, the arid plains became rolling hills, still dry and brown, and inhabited mostly by beef cattle. We saw some deer-like animals grazing, probably pronghorn. Wikipedia describes the pronghorn as “a unique North American mammal…. The pronghorn is the only surviving member of the Antilocapridae family and it has been in North America for over a million years.”

Most impressive are the red hills along I-40 west of Albuquerque, huge sandstone shaped by wind and water. They were simply magnificent, some jagged and some rounded. We passed them in late afternoon so the sun shining on them brought out the red color even more. The picture does not quite capture the beauty but is the best we could do while traveling through.

Late afternoon we arrive at the hotel we booked. It has a restaurant attached but we are told it may not open for the evening meal because “the cook had not come in yet and we should soon know for sure.” So we carry our luggage into room 120 and drove back about 6 miles where there is a grocery store and a pizza place. It is a bit surprising to us that there are so few services along this major highway, but there are also fewer people in general. We buy a few needed items in the grocery store and order a pizza and some ice cream to carry back to eat in the hotel room.

May 20, 2022. Evergreen to Wiley, Colorado

 We woke up to snow flurries in Evergreen CO. The forecast was for a foot or more at these higher elevations (Evergreen is around 8,000 ft.). After a good breakfast with Judi and Ralph we leave and drive through snow flurries and mountains to Garden of the Gods, near Colorado Springs. What an amazing display of wind-sculpted, mostly red sandstone rock formations. In spite of the misty rain, it is beautiful.

From Garden of the Gods, we continue on towards Wiley, Colorado, to visit nephew Jeremy and his wife Emma. They live on a 17 acre plot and raise chickens, goats, and bees. Emma is a researcher on hybrid onions, Jeremy teaches English and German in the nearby Las Animas High School. It is good to get updated on their lives and work and have such enjoyable interactions on many issues of life and faith.

Tonight we are in a bed & breakfast in the nearby town of Lamar. Tomorrow will be a long day of travel, 570miles in nearly nine hours, to Chambers, Arizona, near the Petrified Forest National Park.

May 19, 2022. Charlotte to Denver

We took off from Charlotte airport at 1:40pm. Jon dropped us off at the airport with our luggage, one carry-on and one personal item each. We go to check in and begin at a self-check-in console. We start entering our information and without delay our names and flight information come up on the screen. Then a series of questions. One said something about printing tags for our carry-on luggage. Not a bad idea, I thought, so I tap it and it prints the tags. Before we know what is going on, the helpful lady standing there puts the tags on our luggage and said, “Take your bags over there to the baggage belt.” I say, “To check them?” and she says, “Yes.” So we roll them over and put them on the scales and soon they disappear through the hole in the wall. Still not sure what happened, but having two fewer bags makes our boarding much easier. I think there was something on that screen that the airline will select some passengers to check in their carry-ons if overhead space will likely be limited. I would rather think it is a courtesy to senior citizens, but we really don’t know that. 

An unusual sight when we taxi towards takeoff, a plane that just landed is on the taxiway with a fire engine on each side spraying water over the plane as it slowly continued between the fire trucks. Is it a fire? But there is no smoke. Are they disinfecting the plane from Covid? That does not seem to be an effective way to do it. Then an announcement comes on the intercom and says, “If you are on the left side of the plane (which we were), you will see the airplane going between two fire trucks. That pilot is retiring and this is his last flight. They are escorting him to show their respect.” 

Before long, we are off. Next stop, Denver. The flight is fine, a little turbulence, but nothing serious. We collect our bags and catch the bus to Budget car rental. I check in and am given a tag that says D-11, “The keys are in the car. Have a happy trip.” So we walk out to the parking area and find D-11, but the space is empty. So back into the office, and without too much delay, we are sent to E-13. “It’s a Toyota Tacoma pickup, and it’s a very nice vehicle.” “Does it drive nice?” I ask. “Oh, yes, you will like it” “Will my wife like it?” “Oh, yes, she will like it.” We go out and find the vehicle. 

Just a few days ago I remembered that a friend, Chaiya Hadtasunsern, a Hmong pastor that I worked with in Hickory North Carolina during my time at Virginia Mennonite Missions, pastors the Hmong Mennonite Church near Denver. I wonder if we can look him up. So I find him on Facebook and send him a message. “We remember you, my family will never forget you. Yes please, we are waiting to see you. We live about 20 minutes from the Airport,” he answered. So we leave the airport and follow GPS to their house, where we are warmly welcomed and enjoy a brief visit. 

Then we continue on to Evergreen, Colorado, where Ralph and Judi Nafziger live and graciously offered us hospitality for the night. What a good visit it was, catching up, sharing ideas on many things, and just enjoying being together.